Baltimore Athletes To Strut With Pets In Pawject Runway, A BARCS Benefit

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Orioles and Ravens athletes are all heart, on and off the field. Now Baltimore athletes are trading in their cleats to help their four-legged friends.

Jessica Kartalija has details on Pawject Runway.

When he isn’t running the bases, O’s catcher Matt Wieters is running with his dog, Millie.

“Our fur children, we have two cats and one German Shepherd dog, and all of which we rescued,” Wieters said.

That’s why Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) is so important to the Wieters family.

“The work that they’re doing there is amazing for the animals in Baltimore,” said his wife Maria Wieters, a member of the BARCS Board of Directors.

Next up: Pawject Runway, a fashion show for dogs, cats and some of Baltimore’s best athletes from the Show Your Soft Side campaign.

“The softies will be escorting the actual models–the dogs and cats– and they will be dressed up in adorable attire,” Maria Wieters said.

Proceeds from the show go toward providing medical care for rescued animals.

“We take in 12,000 animals a year, and at the shelter, at any given time, we house 300 animals,” said Jennifer Brouse, BARCS.

Ravens’ Torrey Smith, Marshall Yanda, and MMA’s John Rallo are just a few of the softies who will strut their stuff in Pawject Runway.

“It’s getting the image out there and getting the message to the kids that we are big athletes and members of the community, and we need to treat people and the animals with respect,” Matt Wieters said.

Pawject Runway will have animals up for adoption, and silent auction items signed by the Orioles and Ravens.

Pawject Runway is next Monday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in Canton at Bay Cafe. For details, click here.

Jessica Kartalija

Jessica Kartalija joined the Eyewitness News team during the summer of 2006. She is a general assignment reporter, and anchors the 5 p.m. newscast daily with Mary Bubala and noon newscast with Linh Bui.
She came to Baltimore from the southwest,...